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Olympic Sales Tax


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I was thinking about things and this idea popped into my head. Instead of using heaps of government money from general taxes that would be going to other things if not for the Olympics, put in place a sales tax that would fund the games. It would make more sense to make the people that can afford to pay extra tax bear the brunt of the cost of the games when they buy their $100,000 hummers and million dollar homes over redirecting funds from the poorer people from social programs into the games.

What do ya'll think?

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I don't get it?  A luxury tax specific to paying for the Olympics?  An Olympics is a pretty rare event in a country's history and countries budget for them when they are host.  Since I personally favour a flat %-age tax, I say just take it out of the public kitty.  Once a tax gets started, the government rarely takes it away.
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U say that it be optional.  But people may buy things they need but don't necessarily want their sales tax to go to an Olympic cause.  So how do solve it?  I think lottery tickets and some vanity items like vanity license tags or special phones, would be the way to go.  Again, LA had the most innovative ways to raise the funds needed to stage the 1984 Games.  And no one griped.
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Are you talking a nationwide or state-wide/province-wide tax?

Why should I pay a luxury tax for a games that I will get nothing out of?  When Chicago gets the 2016 games  :unclesam: it will be of no benefit to me out in California.

The only way it would be is if San Francisco gets them and even then, since I live in Vallejo, the only thing we might get out of them is increased hotel and tourism to Marine World and Napa for about a month.  So maybe if it was state-wide then I might think about it.

London's lottery example seems the way to go, although Los Angeles' method was the best way to earn money.

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When Chicago gets the 2016 games  

Oh my, I think the Nation really needs to help Chicago if that happens. They don't have the money to support it!  :;):  :P

Americans will definitely be opposed to that. That's why it has to be NYC for 2016... No new taxes for the games...  :unclesam:

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Are you talking a nationwide or state-wide/province-wide tax?

Why should I pay a luxury tax for a games that I will get nothing out of?  When Chicago gets the 2016 games  :unclesam: it will be of no benefit to me out in California.

The only way it would be is if San Francisco gets them and even then, since I live in Vallejo, the only thing we might get out of them is increased hotel and tourism to Marine World and Napa for about a month.  So maybe if it was state-wide then I might think about it.

London's lottery example seems the way to go, although Los Angeles' method was the best way to earn money.

Its not an idea for the USA, the most likely countries that could use this would be ones like Brazil, South Africa and some countries in Europe.

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I don't get it?  A luxury tax specific to paying for the Olympics?  An Olympics is a pretty rare event in a country's history and countries budget for them when they are host.  Since I personally favour a flat %-age tax, I say just take it out of the public kitty.  Once a tax gets started, the government rarely takes it away.

Alberta has a flat rate tax of 10.5%. Hopefully, if the provincial government does get its act together and try to prop up our "rainy day" program, then having provincial tax in general may be obsolete.

However, if such a thing were to exist, what kind of percentage would you want for it?

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When Chicago gets the 2016 games  

Oh my, I think the Nation really needs to help Chicago if that happens. They don't have the money to support it!  :;):  :P

Americans will definitely be opposed to that. That's why it has to be NYC for 2016... No new taxes for the games...  :unclesam:

Now now, no need to worry about Chicago.  I am sure when all is said and done they will, in the American tradition of hosting an Olympics, walk away with a surplus. :unclesam:

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When Chicago gets the 2016 games  

Oh my, I think the Nation really needs to help Chicago if that happens. They don't have the money to support it!  :;):  :P

Americans will definitely be opposed to that. That's why it has to be NYC for 2016... No new taxes for the games...  :unclesam:

Now now, no need to worry about Chicago.  I am sure when all is said and done they will, in the American tradition of hosting an Olympics, walk away with a surplus. :unclesam:

That's if the Nation or the State of Illinois or Chicagoans will pay more taxes of course...  :;):

London's Olympic Budget is more than Chicago's City budget. So I don't think Chicago would be able to afford that without any additional taxes imposed on its citizens...

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blah! London are just big spenders  :P

So does New York. We won't be one of the most expensive cities in the world if not for our unlimited pockets...  :;):  :unclesam:

Increased taxes for a cause like the Olympic games are just not welcome the USA. In fact, there was a poll of New Yorkers stating 72% won't support the 2012 Olympic Bid if it will use a lot of public money. It might be the case in Europe or in other parts of the world, but it's really not the mindset Americans have.

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Increased taxes for a cause like the Olympic games are just not welcome the USA. In fact, there was a poll of New Yorkers stating 72% won't support the 2012 Olympic Bid if it will use a lot of public money. It might be the case in Europe or in other parts of the world, but it's really not the mindset Americans have.

In America,corporate sponsorship plays a much greater part in raising funds for major undertakings such as an Olympics than is the case in Europe and some other parts of the world.

Americans do not have a tax paying culture vis a vis Europeans.After all,they are the country of private enterprise,

par excellence.

But it seems to me that herein lies the paradox and why the USOC and the IOC seem wary of each other at the moment.

The much greater reliance on corporate sponsorship demands a much greater commercial approach and too often,in the past,American Olympics such as Los Angeles 1984 and Atlanta 1996 have drawn ire from the IOC and spectators outside America for the "over commercialisation" of the games,despite their financial success!

So I am wondering what steps can be taken to allow for the huge commercial input towards the financing of the Games that seems to be required in America whilst avoiding future charges of over commercialising and giving sponsors too high a profile in the staging and presentation of the Games?

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I would say no more then 2 or 3%

Guardian is that PST alone or PST and GST together?

It is neither the GST nor a PST at all. It is the provincial income flat rate tax, come income tax time for all Albertans. It is sad to say this, but some Canadian tax filers have tried to circumvent their own provincial taxes by trying to declare theirs in Alberta by trying to prove that they have an Albertan address. Revenue Canada has been aware of this for some time since the introduction of this tax in Alberta and catching some taxpayers doing this in the process.

By the way, Albertans only pays the 7% GST on items and, today, it is going to get interesting for the province because it is budget day.

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But it seems to me that herein lies the paradox and why the USOC and the IOC seem wary of each other at the moment.

The much greater reliance on corporate sponsorship demands a much greater commercial approach and too often,in the past,American Olympics such as Los Angeles 1984 and Atlanta 1996 have drawn ire from the IOC and spectators outside America for the "over commercialisation" of the games,despite their financial success!

So I am wondering what steps can be taken to allow for the huge commercial input towards the financing of the Games that seems to be required in America whilst avoiding future charges of over commercialising and giving sponsors too high a profile in the staging and presentation of the Games?

I take it you are referring to the 'over-commercialization' of the Atlanta Games.  I have not heard the same case for the LA Games.

OK, here's the real lowdown on that aspect of Atlanta.  What people and the press picked up on is that Atlanta felt it got cut off from the direct profits of ACOG.  So, what it did was to contract this guy who ran street fairs and the like, to run something reasonable around Centennial Park that would mollify the hundreds of small business owners (primarily African-AMerican 'entrepreneurs') who griped that they were left out of ACOG's contracts.  Everybody wanted a piece of the Olympic pie -- based on the huge surplus from the LA Games.  

Well, this guy -- I forget his name (I still have a lot of my Olympic books in boxes) totally lost control of the booths he had given out for licensing/rents.  And this became evident only during the 2 weeks of the Games.  Further, nobody could reach him after the first 3 days of the Games.  A lot of those booth owners had given their rental fees in advance, and it seems like he had skipped town.   And Atlanta could really do nothing because of the ensuing lawsuits that might happen if they shut some of those booth owners down, because they had been given permits by the city's subcontractor.  

Anyway, to make a long story short -- yes, there were too many of them; and 80% of the 'licensed' street vendors did not make the killing they thought they could.  It just got out of control.  But that's the free enterprise system.  

I'd still rather live in society where a taxpayer is NOT forced to shoulder something peripheral as an Olympic Games; and which monies would have gone to social services rather than merely to a 'prestige' project like an Olympic Games.  The IOC can't have it both ways; it should come to its senses.

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I take it you are referring to the 'over-commercialization' of the Atlanta Games.  I have not heard the same case for the LA Games.

I'd still rather live in society where a taxpayer is NOT forced to shoulder something peripheral as an Olympic Games; and which monies would have gone to social services rather than merely to a 'prestige' project like an Olympic Games.  The IOC can't have it both ways; it should come to its senses.

I had the impression from somewhere that the LA Games

had been criticized for this too.Sorry If I was wrong about that.But definitely,Atlanta.

But my question is,given that coporate sponsorship and private enterprise plays a much greater part in US Olympic funding,how can a potential US host city satisfy the demands of its corporate sponsors while avoiding the IOC 's request to keep the Games free from over commercialisation as happened with Atlanta?

And aren't you being a tad dismissive about the potential benefits an Olympics can bring to its host city? After all,if there were none,why do so many places bid to host one?

I think if the citizens are behind their city's Olympic bid then they should be prepared to put their hands into their pockets

a little (although I agree not excessively so) because of the potential benefits hosting the Games can bring to their city,

so it can be seen as an investment for the future too rather than just an excuse to throw a big,two week long party!

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U know what?  Just do it.  It'll work out or it won't -- and the Games swing around every 20 years or so anyway.  I just think that if the IOC wants a party thrown their way, they should spend for it.   They're rich enough to do so.  

Insofar as benefits for a would-be host city.  I think it's not only the immediate benefits, but the long-range legacies and rise of tourism many years after that will accrue.

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